pool opening delayed until i can uncloud my pool

hey guys just stumbled onto this site via google searches. my pool is pretty cloudy. a few days ago it was dark green with two dead birds in it, so ive made some progress but its not useable yet. i have an above ground pool , 24' round. sand filter.

so my levels are all good besides my ph. ph is pretty low. i added 30 pounds of some stuff from the pool store but after two days the ph has dropped again. initially i was going to go back to the pool store and buy some more stuff. but i saw how you guys gave tips and pointers on alternatives to overpriced pool stuff. such as bleach instead of chlorine. i briefly remember baking soda ...for alkalinity possibly..?

anyway. is there a cheap alternative to raise ph that i can get from walmart of sams club etc?

ive been running my pool filter nonstop but the pool just wont clear up. i did try some clarifier but so far its a no go.

im sure this is an extremely overanswered situation, but since im new here i have a bit of restricted access so my best bet was to start this thread.

thanks in advance guys. and thanks for having me on your forum

The answer to your question is "20 Mule Team borax" from the detergent section at Walmart or Kmart. Add a box at a time, and test with a cheap OTO/phenol red kit (Walmart, again) an hour after each box.

Add the borax one box at time SLOWLY through the skimmer with the pump running. Test your pH an hour after each addition.

Ben

Unless you are chlorinating your water, you won't be able to clear it up.

BTW, Bleach IS Chlorine. "Liquid Chlorine" from the pool store is merely concentrated bleach, unless it's 6% strength. Then it's exactly the same as ultra bleach, which is also 6%.

Carl

Welcome to the Forum!

I'm glad that you found us (and so is your wallet). :cool:

I don't like adding chems through the skimmer (not to start a debate) except for water and DE. Speaking of DE (diatomaceous earth), adding a little to a sand filter will help clear the finer particles out of the pool - I believe there is a sticky on this. (* I had 1 pool this spring that had ? stuff in it that just bypassed the filter when I vacuumed and by adding the DE, I was able to get the pool crystal clear in 3 days:))

thanks guys. i was reading some things here and there on the forum today and saw the borax answer as well. im going to hit the local walmart tomorrow. lol@ the wallet comment. i agree with that, i wish i had found this forum a week ago, before i spent 150 dollars on chlorine and ph stuff. but hey better late than never. ill keep you posted. and thx again

also, just so i can try to understand this. what exactly is the culprit here, if it can be pinpointed. low ph which allows algae growth? free floating particles that cant be filtered because they are too small? impossible to really tell via posts on a forum with minimum details?

the cloudy water can be any of several things, or a combination of any of them.
nascent algae bloom
suspended particles of dead algae
suspended particles of dirt/sand
poor chemical mix (usually causing 2 or 3 above)

the algae bloom is fixed with chlorine
2 can be fixed by chlorine, but easier/cheaper to filter
3 is fixed by filter
4 is fixed by balance

Quote:

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Originally Posted by resp215

also, just so i can try to understand this. what exactly is the culprit here, if it can be pinpointed. low ph which allows algae growth? free floating particles that cant be filtered because they are too small? impossible to really tell via posts on a forum with minimum details?

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adding 30 pounds of anything probably didn't help much......

Janet

Quote:

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Originally Posted by aylad

adding 30 pounds of anything probably didn't help much......

Janet

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yeah initially i went to the pool supply store and they tested the water and said that the ph was low. so in total it was 24 pounds , two 12 pd bags, of some stuff to bump the ph. luckily i found this forum otherwise i would have been back there again.

an hour ago i went to walmart and bought some generic brand bleach, 6%, 1.5 gallon jugs. i also bought a few boxes of borax. came home and put 1 jug of chlorine in the pool and a box of borax into the skimmer. a few minutes ago i checked the levels. i only have test strips that you dip in the water so until i purchase the K-2006 i will have to wing it. the alk was good, ph was still slightly low so i added another box of borat, and the chlorine was high which i thought may happen.

i will test the levels again in an hour and see where the ph falls at. i really do appreciate all the help. i was thinking about adding a bit of de into the skimmer to help my sand filter but i figured i would get my levels where they should be first and then see what you guys thought about the de idea.



oh man i almost forgot, there is another part of my setup. we just bought this house over a year ago so this is our second summer here. its a nature 2 above ground pool thing. lol i dont really know what to call it. anyway its set up but there i didnt replace the cartridge in it yet. they are pricey. is this even necessary with the bbb way of maintaining the pool? or can i eliminate it. if it is not needed can i just leave it hooked up until i shut the pool down or do i have to detach it off my setup

ok so i just got a chance to go check the pool again to see how the borax effected the ph. here are my results:

pool check 3n1 test strips
{ppm}
total alk80-120ish
free chl/bromine 10/20
ph 7.2

im going to add a bit more borax to get the ph to 7.8 since i think i read that is ideal.
the pool smells like a pool lol. just doesnt look like one yet